Jane Harman resigned from Congress February 28, 2011 to join the Woodrow Wilson Center as its first female Director, President and CEO.

Representing the aerospace center of California during nine terms in Congress, she served on all the major security committees: six years on Armed Services, eight years on Intelligence, and eight on Homeland Security. During her long public career, Harman has been recognized as a national expert at the nexus of security and public policy issues, and has received numerous awards for distinguished service.

She is a member of the Defense Policy Board, the State Department Foreign Policy Board, and the Homeland Security Advisory Committee. She also serves on the Executive Committee of the Trilateral Commission and the Advisory Board of the Munich Security Conference.

Harman is a Trustee of the Aspen Institute and the University of Southern California. She is also a member of the Presidential Debates Commission.

A product of Los Angeles public schools, Harman is a magna cum laude graduate of Smith College, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and Harvard Law School. Prior to serving in Congress, she was Staff Director of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Constitutional Rights, Deputy Cabinet Secretary to President Jimmy Carter, Special Counsel to the Department of Defense, and in private law practice.

She has four adult children and four grandchildren.

Related Content for this Expert

"Vladimir Putin doesn't know the Colin Powell rule -- if you break it you own it. And if he breaks up Crimea, he's going to own their pension liabilities, their tanked economy, at a time when the Russian economy is stretched," Harman said. more

Jane Harman was a panelist on "Fox News Sunday" with columnist George Will, Heritage Action for America CEO Michael Needham and Fox News political analyst Juan Williams to discuss Russia and the conflict in Ukraine, as well as the presidential budget. "There is a possibility that Putin's efforts could backfire here. We have to be adroit, we and the rest of the world that really cares about a Ukraine that has a modern, pluralist, technocrat government," Harman said.
more

Jane Harman was a guest on "Real Time With Bill Maher" to discuss issues in American politics including the minimum wage, intelligence and surveillance, and terrorism. "We should win the argument with the kid trying to strap on the suicide vest. That's the right way to do it," Harman said. more

Jane Harman appeared on "Morning Joe" with Ian Brzezinski, Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, to discuss the situation in Ukraine and Russia's role. "The Ukrainians, at least according to the scholars at the Wilson Center, want to determine their own future. They don't want us or the EU or Russia to tell them what to do. This is not going to be a top-down solution--it's going to be bottom-up," Harman said.
more

By partnering with U.S. corporations, USAID and other development agencies can help developing countries innovate new technologies, leapfrog infrastructure investment, and create new markets and sustainable livelihoods. Using technology and innovation to change the lives of millions around the world, these partnerships may also help shape a different view of America as a global power: smart and capable, focused on success and results, not ideology. However, these partnerships can be a challenge to develop and sustain. How can Congress work with the private sector and development agencies to enable these partnerships for success? more

U.S. dependence on imported oil and gas has long been a source of controversy, as an economic, political and security issue. Yet now, with the widespread use of new technology allowing dramatic new sources of energy, things are changing. According to some experts, American energy independence is close, turning the tables on traditional suppliers. Is America about to free itself from dependence on foreign oil – or are there hidden risks in this new wealth? more

Pages

"At a time when too many see U.S. foreign policy in kinetic terms, like drones or special ops, the 'soft power diplomacy' of disaster relief delivers life-saving help to desperate people, and improves their image of America," writes Jane Harman in The Huffington Post.

The hemorrhaging leaks by Edward Snowden has the U.S. government reeling, writes Jane Harman in The Washington Post, but it is time that the U.S. explains what we do—and what we won’t do—to rebuild shattered trust between our country and other world leaders.

"Security and liberty are reinforcing values: we either get more of both, or less of both. Done right, government policies and laws that make the nation more secure – like those authorizing electronic surveillance – should not undermine our constitutional rights," writes Jane Harman in The New Republic.

Fifteen students from the China Women’s University visited the Wilson Center where they discussed their action plans and reflected on the transformative impact of the Women in Public Service Institute on their university.

“I think urging the U.N. immediately to investigate this is right action number one and then, two, mobilizing the entire world community. If there was a massive use of chemical weapons, that should be a rallying cry for the world to get involved,” said Jane Harman on Andrea Mitchell Reports.

"Security and liberty are not a zero-sum game. We either get more or less of both....Curtailing tactics that inflame alienated populations, while enhancing techniques that help us find those among us who are radicalized, gives us far better odds of reducing risk," argues Jane Harman.

Jane Harman and Zbigniew Brzezinski debate a U.S. intervention in Syria on Morning Joe. "I hope we have a strategy to work this out diplomatically with the Russians on the other side and the leader is moved out even if he stays in country and another transitional government takes his place,” said Jane Harman.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and a group of Fulbright Fellows commemorated the J. William Fulbright-Hillary Rodham Clinton Fellowships, a new fellowship under the State Department’s Fulbright program in honor of Secretary Clinton.

In this audio briefing, experienced observers on the ground in Cairo and analysts from the U.S. examine the ouster of President Morsi, the path to democracy, and the implications for political Islam in the region.

The law that authorized U.S. forces to act against terrorists after 9/11 is once again up for debate. The Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) is seen by many as no longer applicable to a conflict that has moved beyond those responsible for 9/11. The enemy and the nature of the conflict have changed: is it time for the U.S. to revise or repeal the AUMF? This National Conversation includes expert commentators who have worked in many of the organizations most closely involved with the issue – Congress, the U.S. military and the CIA.

How can we protect our infrastructure, and make it more resilient against the many hazards that are part of the 21st Century? This National Conversation is part of a dialogue between government and the private sector, to help make policy more effective.

A panel of experts shared their views on the current status of religious minorities in Middle East, especially in light of developments after the “Arab Spring,” and provided strategies and recommendations for how these minorities can be protected.

A panel of experts, including R. Gil Kerlikowske, Director of Drug Control Policy at the White House, discusses reforming current policies combating illegal drugs in the United States and Latin America.